FAQ – Unihome Students

Who can stay at Unihome Students and how can I book accommodations?

Unihome Students is primarily aimed at students, but during the summertime it can be accommodated by other customers as well, both private and business customers. You can make a reservation by contacting our sales service at sales@unihome.fi or by calling 029 412 4727. Our sales team is available on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can also leave a contact request on our website.

 People under the age of 18 cannot make a reservation.

What is included in the price of the accommodation?

The basic price of the reservation includes the apartment of your choice, as well as the Sauna and laundry facilities are available to all guests. If you wish, you can also get a linen and towel set and cleaning for an additional charge. Ask more when making a reservation.

Can I stay with a pet?

Unfortunately, you cannot bring pets to Unihome Students

Does the accommodation price include breakfast?

Unihome Students does not serve breakfast, so it is not included in the price.

How does pricing work? 

Short-term booking is comparable to a regular hotel reservation.

The price of the apartment is affected by the size of the apartment and the cancellation terms of the reservation. The fee for a short-term reservation is always charged at the start of the booking. The pricing of longer bookings is based on the duration of your stay; the longer you stay, the lower the price per night. The first fee for a longer booking is always charged at the time of booking or upon check-in.

You can pay for your reservation in our online booking system by debit or credit card. We can also send you a payment link for the booking on the first day of each starting calendar month.

Can I cancel my reservation? 

There are separate cancellation terms for short-term bookings, which are already known to the customer before the reservation has been confirmed, i.e. paid for.

Please contact the accommodation destination by email regarding your cancellation. You can ask for more information about your booking and cancellation terms by email at sales@unihome.fi.

We recommend that travellers take out a personal travel insurance policy (including those living in Finland). This allows you to claim compensation for unexpected and unpredictable expenses and losses.

Can I bring guests to my apartment? Are guests allowed to use the facilities and services included in the accommodation?

You can bring guests to Unihome Students, Guests can also spend the night with you. However, if your guest stays with you for the night, this needs to be agreed with the staff separately. Please note that having parties is prohibited.

Please check the services available to guests from our staff at reception or by email at reception@unihome.fi

Can I pay for my reservation when I arrive? 

Unihome Students does not have reception open every day, therefore accommodation must be paid in advance or payment must be agreed before the arrival date.

If you want to pay the reservation in cash, you can pay at the reception of our Töölö Towers destination at: Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 23 A, Helsinki.

What payment options are available?

We accept all major European payment cards and American Express and Alipay cards.

You can also pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay.

We cannot accept Nordea MobilePay payments or Pivo Wallet payments, nor do we accept checks.

Billing is only possible in Finland and for our corporate contract customers.

Can I book an apartment for business use or in the name of a business? 

Apartments can be booked either as a private or corporate customer.

Please contact our business sales team at sales@unihome.fi and we will help you with your reservation.

When making the reservation, please indicate your business ID (VAT number), the name of the company staff member and the billing instructions. Billing is only available for businesses.

Please provide the name, contact information, telephone number and email address of each guest separately.

Can I receive housing allowance while living at Unihome Students?

Kela general housing allowance is not awarded to those living at Unihome Students.

Can I shorten or extend my booking?

Please contact our sales team for questions about shortening or extending your booking.

The reservation may be extended subject to availability.

If you wish to shorten your reservation, no fees will be refunded to you for unspent nights in accordance with our cancellation terms.

Can I see the apartment before making a reservation?

Our rooms can be viewed through our website and by using the information found there.

If you have any specific questions that you have not found an answer to, you can contact us at students@unihome.fi and we will be happy to answer any questions and tell you more about our apartments if necessary.

What if I need more storage space?

Our customers can choose a free storage cage and keep their belongings there during their stay. The resident is responsible for locking the storage and for its contents.

The storage reservation is made on site at our reception.

I’m travelling by car, where can I park?

Parking is not allowed in our yard. There are city parking spaces along the Vuolukiventie.

Do I need home insurance?

You do not need home insurance to live at Unihome Students.

We still recommend that you obtain travel insurance or baggage insurance to compensate for unforeseen damages.

Can I file a move notification at Unihome Students?

You cannot file a move notification at Töölö Towers, so you cannot report your room as your permanent residence. If you need to make a statutory move notification, you can provide the postcode of our destination and choose “’no permanent residence” to get all municipal services.

You can make a change of address notification using our address, so your mail will find its way there.

A lot of information about making a move notification and changing addresses can be found at: https://dvv.fi/en/frequntly-asked-questions-on-moving-in-finland

Can I leave my bags in storage after my stay ends?

You can leave your bags in short-term storage at the reception during our opening hours.

Can I change apartments in the middle of a reservation?

If we have available rooms, then yes you can! If you wish to change room class in the middle of a reservation, please contact our reception or sales team.

Additional charges for the change must be paid in the event a change takes place.

Can I influence the location of or view from my room?

We always take the customer’s wishes into account and implement them within the framework of availability.

Are there any baby beds at Unihome Students?

There are no extra beds, highchairs or cots in the property.

Does Unihome Students offer an airport shuttle service?

Unihome Students does not offer an airport shuttle service. You can order taxi transportation in advance from Taksi Helsinki at www.taksihelsinki.fi  Public transport routes and timetables can be found at www.hsl.fi

Why do I need to check in electronically? 

We ask our customers to do an electronic check-in, as there is no on-site reception staff available every day of the week at the destination. You can only stay at Unihome Students after completing the electronic check-in.

If no electronic check-in has been made and you arrive after 10:00 p.m., additional fees will be applied.

I have already paid for the reservation, so why do I need to provide my card details?

We are asking for your card details only as collateral. We will not charge anything extra on your card unless there is damage to fixtures, violations of rules or anything else happening in the room that requires extra compensation to be paid by you.

We never charge a card without the customer’s permission. (Payment Services Act, April 30th 2010 / 290, Section 62)

Why do I need to disclose my personal data even though I live in Finland?

We only ask for your personal data (social security number or ID card or passport number) so that we can check your identity or disclose the data to the Finnish authorities and security services in the event of a national incident. Finnish law requires that the accommodation operator make a declaration of all travellers arriving at the accommodation.

What if I do not want to or cannot complete an electronic check-in?

No problem, you just need to come to our reception during its opening hours, so we can complete manual check-in and fill in the traveller declaration.

Can I check in earlier than 3:00 p.m.? 

If the booking situation allows it, it is possible to check in earlier. You can inquire about earlier check-in at the reception on the day of arrival.

For example, if you arrive at noon and the room has already been cleaned, we can hand over the room to you earlier.

Can another person do the check-in for me?

Please contact reception reception@unihome.fi or  +358 29412 4555 to inform us of the other person’s personal information, and we may complete the check-in with them.

Please note that payment for the reservation must be made in order to check in.

I’m arriving after 10:00 p.m. How do I check in?

Unihome Students’ keys can only be picked up during opening hours either at Unihome Students’ reception (Vuolukiventie 1b) or at our Töölö Towers reception (Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 23 A). We always inform you in advance of the current opening hours of our reception so that you know where you can pick up your keys on the day of your arrival.

If you cannot make it within the reception opening hours, we can book you a room at Töölö Towers for one night and you will receive your keys the next day. You can inquire more about late arrival accommodation by emailing students@unihome.fi

Can I check out later than 11:00 a.m.?

Unfortunately late check-out is not possible in Unihome Students. Check-out is by 11:00.

Do I need to clean the apartment after my stay?

For longer bookings, the customer is responsible for cleaning of the room.

Where do I return the apartment key?

You can leave the key on the table in the room. Please make sure the door locks behind you.

Can I change the furniture solution for my apartment?

It is not possible to change the furniture solution for the apartments. It is possible to bring your own furniture into the apartment, but Unihome Students does not accept any responsibility for the customer’s goods.

What is the level of amenities in the apartments?

Our apartments are fully furnished. Our range does not include any unfurnished solutions.

The amenities of a fully furnished apartment include a bed, pillow, blanket, table and chairs, storage facilities, light fixtures, Wi-Fi, Ethernet possibility, basic household appliances (either private or shared) and curtains.

In the S-building, in connection with the reception there is also a reuse market, where you can find kitchen items left by the previous residents (dishes, cutlery and cooking utensils), cleaning supplies, hangers.

What appliances are there in the larger apartments?

Larger apartments with their own kitchen include a microwave oven, fridge and hotplate.

Can I declare Unihome Students as my permanent residence address?

You cannot declare Unihome Students as a permanent or temporary residence address, as our rooms are not registered as apartments. However, it is not necessary to notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of your permanent residence in Finland, and you can transfer your municipality of residence to the city where your apartment is located regardless, provided that your stay meets the other required conditions. This allows you to use public services normally.

If you do not have another permanent residential address in Finland, you can specify the postal code of the destination in the legally required move notification of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and give the precise Unihome Students address with apartment number as the postal address differing from the separate residential address.

You can however make an address change, which means your mail will find us.

The address is:

Vuolukiventie 1 B (apartment number e.g. 1)

00710 Helsinki

Can I get a parking ID for city residents? 

Those staying at Unihome Students cannot receive a parking ID for city residents.

More information on parking can be found on the City of Helsinki website.

Does staying at Porthania Flats affect my bank, telephone subscription or insurance contracts?

Accommodations lasting for longer than a month should not make it any more difficult to enter into contracts.

Different service providers have a legal obligation to identify their customers, and a Finnish personal identity code is typically sufficient for identification. For daily services (such as personal banking services, telephone subscription and insurance contracts), a personal identity code is most often sufficient as identification. In some cases (such as applying for consumer credit or ordering a new credit card), service providers also require declaring a permanent residence address in order to check personal data.

If you do not have a permanent residence address in Finland, service providers may have different exceptional practices in place for identifying the customer.

For most service providers, a separate postal address different from the residential address may replace the permanent residential address for identification purposes. Identification can also be done, for example, through the service provider’s customer service or in person on the premises of the service provider. Practices vary between service providers. Please remember that you are unable to report Unihome Students as a permanent or temporary residential address, you can only redirect your mail there, so please always check with the service provider to determine their requirements in such situations. If you need to make a statutory move notification, you can provide the postcode of our destination and choose “’no permanent residence” to get all municipal services.

We are happy to help our guests, you can ask our staff for help at the reception or by email at students@unihome.fi